13The LORD says:
My servant will succeed!
He will be given great praise
and the highest honors.
14Many were horrified
at what happened to him.
But everyone who saw him
was even more horrified
because he suffered until
he no longer looked human.
15My servant will make
nations worthy to worship me;
kings will be silent
as they bow in wonder.
They will see and think about
things
they have never seen
or thought about before.

What God's Servant Did for Us

Isaiah 53 Has anyone believed us
or seen the mighty power
of the LORD in action?
2Like a young plant or a root
that sprouts in dry ground,
the servant grew up
obeying the LORD.
He wasn't some handsome king.
Nothing about the way he looked
made him attractive to us.
3He was hated and rejected;
his life was filled with sorrow
and terrible suffering.
No one wanted to look at him.
We despised him and said,
"He is a nobody!"

4He suffered and endured
great pain for us,
but we thought his suffering
was punishment from God.
5He was wounded and crushed
because of our sins;
by taking our punishment,
he made us completely well.
6All of us were like sheep
that had wandered off.
We had each gone our own way,
but the LORD gave him
the punishment we deserved.

7He was painfully abused,
but he did not complain.
He was silent like a lamb
being led to the butcher,
as quiet as a sheep
having its wool cut off.

8He was condemned to death
without a fair trial.
Who could have imagined
what would happen to him?
His life was taken away
because of the sinful things
my people had done.
9He wasn't dishonest or violent,
but he was buried in a tomb
of cruel and rich people.

10The LORD decided his servant
would suffer as a sacrifice
to take away the sin
and guilt of others.
Now the servant will live
to see his own descendants.
He did everything
the LORD had planned.

11By suffering, the servant
will learn the true meaning
of obeying the LORD.
Although he is innocent,
he will take the punishment
for the sins of others,
so that many of them
will no longer be guilty.
12The LORD will reward him
with honor and power
for sacrificing his life.
Others thought he was a sinner,
but he suffered for our sins
and asked God to forgive us.

These daily Bible readings from
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